Can we inject illicit drugs and not get hooked? The ideal for many illicit drug users is to carefully balance the use of the more addictive drugs such as heroin, speed and benzodiazepines without forming a dependency on them. And there are users who manage to enjoy their injecting but still hold down a job, be a good parent and enjoy all aspects of life. But then there are others whose lives seem to spiral out of control, no matter how much they try to control their use.
Getting addicted, or dependent, on a drug usually has two aspects -a psychological and physiological dependency. It is impossible to specify the levels of drug use to avoid psychological dependency, or the 'craving' for a drug. Each individual will have widely ranging reactions in this case, depending on issues such as why they are using the drugs in the first place, personality factors, self-esteem, level of mental health and social supports. Some people can form strong cravings for the caffeine in coffee or soft drinks, even though the withdrawal effects from caffeine are not usually severe.
Avoiding tolerance and withdrawals
However, there may be rough guidelines that can be offered on avoiding physical dependency as the body adapts to the regular presence of an illicit drug. There is anecdotal evidence from many users who may inject heroin or swallow speed once or twice a weekend but keep a strict rule of not using during the week. They state their bodies do not develop a tolerance at this level, so the effect is always strong and they don’t have to increase the dose. Furthermore, if they chose to stop their use, there would be no withdrawal symptoms.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to give more accurate information on this for all users. There are many factors such as body weight, strength of the drug and variations from person to person on how easily their body adapts to an illicit drug.
Controlled use not possible for all users
The biggest factor, of course, is the psychological dependence. Some users will find they cannot keep to just weekend use and may find their drug use spiralling out of control again, and abstinence may be the only long-term solution. Others may manage to only control their use until the next life crisis comes along. And of course, this applies regardless of whether the drug is legal or not - just speak with your average cigarette smoker or alcoholic!
For those willing to experiment, keep a diary on when you use, how much and the length and strength of the effects. You could start with using twice a week and record the results for a fortnight. Try using three times a week for the next fortnight and monitor the effects again. Assuming the amount used is consistent, you will know physical tolerance is beginning once the effects start to weaken. This is roughly the point at which withdrawal symptoms will start to occur if use is suddenly stopped.
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